By Jacobs Botha,

The South African government has called for a unified, countrywide effort to protect the nation’s biodiversity, warning that conservation cannot succeed without the direct involvement of communities.

Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Narend Singh, who made the call at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) South Africa Annual General Meeting in Sandton, Johannesburg, said community participation must be placed at the centre of environmental protection efforts.

“Conservation without people is hollow. True success hinges on inclusive, transformative biodiversity management, where local communities are not just beneficiaries, but co-architects and custodians,” Singh said.

His remarks align with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which seeks to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2050. The framework outlines four long-term goals and 23 targets for 2030 aimed at tackling the main drivers of environmental decline, including habitat loss, pollution and invasive species. South Africa is currently updating its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) to reflect these commitments.

Singh said the importance of protecting indigenous knowledge was underscored during the World Tribal Alliance gathering held earlier in the week.
“At COP16 in Colombia, we cemented the Cali Call for Action to protect Indigenous Knowledge holders and ensure they benefit economically from the remedies, medicines and innovations derived from their heritage,” he said.

The AGM brought together leaders from government, business and civil society to discuss South Africa’s conservation priorities. Singh urged WWF to take a leading role in promoting community-based natural resource management and in supporting youth and women through skills development, enterprise creation and access to biodiversity-based markets.

He also raised concerns about the increase in transnational wildlife crime, describing it as a threat that stretches far beyond environmental damage.

“This is not just an environmental crisis — it is an assault on our rule of law, security, economy and tourism sector. Criminal syndicates embed themselves in communities, diversify their operations and exploit corruption and porous borders to traffic high-value species,” he said.

Singh warned that these networks operate like “mafia-type” groups involved in poaching, drug trafficking, human trafficking and other illicit activities. He commended WWF for its support in combating succulent poaching, noting that the organisation has deployed personnel to assist in enforcement efforts.

Government, he added, is strengthening its response through the National Integrated Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking, approved by Cabinet in 2023. The strategy aims to improve coordination, intelligence-sharing and law enforcement capacity to dismantle wildlife trafficking syndicates.

The 2025 edition of the Africa Conference on Development Journalism (ACDJ) is scheduled to take place on 3rd and 4th December in Kaduna, Nigeria. This year marks the ninth edition of the annual conference since its inception in 2016.

Themed, “Media and Inclusive Development: A Call to Action for Africa’s Future,” the conference seeks to highlight the critical role of the media in driving sustainable growth across the continent. This theme underscores the urgent need for Africans to take ownership of the continent’s development agenda and work collectively towards long-term progress.

Development journalism remains central to this mission, as journalists are at the forefront of informing the public, analysing issues, shaping discourse, and holding leaders and institutions accountable.
As storytellers and watchdogs, journalists help to spotlight developmental gaps while also amplifying workable solutions that can inspire change.
ACDJ is an annual event organised by the Africa Media Development Foundation, AMDF and designed to bring journalists and other stakeholders together to brainstorm new ideas and strategies for addressing Africa’s developmental challenges.
It provides a platform where journalists learn, share experiences, and exchange knowledge towards advancing the growth and progress of the continent.
The 2025 conference will feature an array of speakers drawn from diverse sectors. Among those expected to speak are the Kaduna State Commissioner for Information, Mallam Ahmed Maiyaki; Dr. Yila Umaru; and Mrs Sekyen Dadik, Executive Director of the Africa Media Development Foundation (AMDF), among others.

According to the organisers in a statement, this year’s edition promises rich conversations and actionable insights that will further strengthen the media’s role in shaping Africa’s development trajectory.

Signed:
Sekyen Dadik
ED, AMDF
Wika Gofwen
Chairman Communication Committee ACDJ 2025
To register visit: https://conference.amdf-centre.org

#ACDJ2025 #DevComm #InclusiveJournalism

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has renewed the appointment of Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) as the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for another five-year term.

Marwa was first appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2021, after serving as the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse from 2018 to December 2020.

The reappointment means the Adamawa-born former military officer will remain at the helm of the NDLEA until 2031.
Marwa, a former military governor of Lagos and Borno States, is a graduate of the Nigerian Military School and the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA.
After his commissioning as a second lieutenant in 1973, Marwa served as brigade major of the 23 Armoured Brigade, Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Theophilus Danjuma, and academic registrar of the Nigerian Defence Academy. He also served as Deputy Defence Adviser in the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC, and later as Defence Adviser to the Nigerian Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

He holds two postgraduate degrees: a Master of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh (1983–85) and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University (1985–86).

His tenure in the NDLEA has been remarkable for many drug busts, including the arrests of 73,000 drug mules and barons and seizures of over 15 million kilogrammes of various hard drugs.

Under his leadership, the agency has also launched nationwide campaigns to address drug abuse.

“Your reappointment is a vote of confidence in your onerous efforts to rid our country of the menace of drug trafficking and drug abuse. I urge you not to relent in tracking the merchants of hard drugs, out to destroy our people, especially the young ones”, President Tinubu

By Jacobs Botha,

President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa has announced changes to the National Executive, appointing new leadership in key government portfolios.

Mr. Willem Abraham Stephanus Aucamp has been appointed Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, succeeding Dr. Dion George, who has been removed from the position in line with constitutional provisions.

Additionally, Ms. Alexandra Lilian Amelia Abrahams has been appointed Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition.

In a brief statement, President Ramaphosa said: “I wish Mr. Aucamp and Ms. Abrahams well in their portfolios.”

These changes were made in accordance with sections 91(2), 91(3)(b), and 93(1)(a) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.

No further details regarding the reasons for the changes were provided.

By Jacobs Botha,

The South African government has issued a stark warning that the country remains engulfed in a crisis of gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), despite ramped-up national interventions and years of public mobilisation.

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni delivered the message during a post-Cabinet briefing in Cape Town on Thursday, saying Cabinet is “deeply concerned” that GBVF levels remain unacceptably high and continue to rise in parts of the country.

“Despite concerted efforts by government, civil society, businesses and communities, South Africa continues to grapple with alarming rates of GBVF,” she said.

The warning comes days before the start of this year’s 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children, which will run from 25 November to 10 December under the theme Letsema: Men, Women, Boys and Girls working together to end Gender-Based Violence and Femicide.

The campaign, part of a global UN initiative, aims to galvanise community action and strengthen accountability in the fight against violence targeting women and children.

In an effort to accelerate progress, government earlier this year launched the 90-Day GBVF Acceleration Programme, designed to fast-track urgent interventions and reinforce implementation of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF. Led by the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster, the programme included the reinstatement of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on GBVF to sharpen coordination across departments.

Ntshavheni stressed that while government is stepping up its response, the battle cannot be won without community-level action.

“Gender-based violence occurs in our homes and in our communities. We are the first responders and have the power to stop it,” she said. “Government can act after the harm has occurred, but prevention depends on society. This is a collective call to protect our women and children.”

With the 16 Days campaign nearing, government’s message is clear: reversing South Africa’s GBVF crisis now demands urgent, united action across all sectors of society.